Rotary engine.



No. 705,380. Patented July 22, I902;

.. a. CASSADY. v I

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 17, 1902.) (No Model.)

i j Va //v VEN 70H Ggoaye Caasaiiy IL I n we norms PETERS cu Pnorwumo. WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE OASSADY, OF VANCOUVER, CANADA.

ROTARY ENTGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 705,380, dated July 22, 1902.

Application filed-May 17, 1902.

To all whom it Hwy-concern:

Be itknown thatI, GEORGE CASSADY, acitizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, inthe Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented anew and useful Rotary Engine, of'which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a rotary engine of that class wherein the steam acts on radial blades projecting from the rim'of a wheel rotatable within an inclosed cylindrical chamber, and is designed'so as to be applicable for rotation in one direction or for reversal, where such is required, as for the purposes of a winch or hoist or for operating the propeller of a steam-launch.

My engine is fully described in the following specification, and illustrated byits accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section on the line a a in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow a; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section on the line 0 sin Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a crosssection through the steam admission on the line b bin Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow 1); Fig. 4:, a partial end elevation, and Fig; 5 is a detail section of the means for controlling the exhaust-ports.

In the drawings,2 represents the cylindrical chamber, closable at the front side by the cover 3, and rotatable concentrically with the chamber-bore in bearings 2 and 3 is the shaft 4, to which is secured within the chamber the wheel 5, the rim 5 of which is adapted to closely fit laterally the chamber 2, while permitting rotation Within it, and to provide an annular space between the periphery of the Wheel-rim and the bore of the chamber.

Secured to the outer side of the rim 5 are the blades 6, equally spaced around the circumference and designed to closely fit the inside of the chamber, while allowing, as with the rim, f-ree rotation within it.

In rolling contact with the rim 5 is the valve 7, rotatable in a chamber 8, forming part of the cylindrical casing. This valve is supported on the valve-spindle 9, upon which it is susceptible of rotation, being driven at the required rate of speed in inverse ratio as the diameter of the roller 7 is to that of the rim 5 by means of a gear-wheel 10, secured to the shaft 4 exterior to the cylindrical chamber, such wheel meshing into a pinion 11, secured to the reduced bearing end 7 of the roller-valve. To enable the blades 6 to-pass the roller-Valve a suitable aperture 7 is provided in the latter, and this aperture forms a port communicating with the bore of the roller-valve. As the valve may require to travel at a considerable speed, the loss of metal from the aperture 7 is compensated for on the opposite side of the axis by the apertures 7. (See Fig. 1.)

Opposite to the line of contact of the rollervalve on the rim 5 is a closing-piece 12,which being fitted to the surface of the roller prevents steam passing from one side of the line of contact to the other. The edges of this closing-piece are furnished with strips of lead or other suitable material, so that when the closing-piece is tightened down by means of the screws 13 an eifectual joint is made with its edges on the sides of the dovetailed recess in which the closing-piece is placed.

' The spindle-valve 9, on which the roller 7 rotates and by which it is supported on the cover side, is itself susceptible of partial rotation in its bearings 3 by means of a lever 15, secured toward its outer end. Between the face of the lever and the outside face of the bearing 3? is the steam connection 16, bored'to fit the spindle and-provided with an annular space 16in communication with the steam-pipe 17; To insure a steam tight joint being maintained on the two faces of the'steam connection 16, the outer end of the spindle 9 is threaded and provided with a cap-nut-lS, by'mea'ns of which the joint faces may be drawn-into close contact, the spindle being retained against the'pull of the nut by the position drawn in Figs. 1 and l steam is taken to rotate the engine in the direction of the arrow 2; but if the spindle-port is turned ICO to the position indicated by the dot-and-dash line 9 in Fig. 4 the engine will rotate in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow 00, while if directed upward vertically, as indicated by dot-and-dash linefand as drawn in Fig. 2, steam will not be taken to either side, as the port 7 is closed by the piece 12 while it is passing the port 9 of the spindle.

In communication with the annular space within which the blades work are the exhaustoutl ets 20, situated on either side of the line of contact between valve and rim, the one on the steam side being closed while the other is open. The means used for effecting the opening and closing of the exhaust-ports is illustrated in Fig. 5. The ports 20 are connected by a cross passage 21 from midway, in which the exhaust 22 to the atmosphere or condenser is taken. In the passage 21 works a spindle 23, operative through a gland from the outside of the casing, and may either be connected to the reversinglever or worked independently of such. On this stem are two valves 24, so spaced that when one is closed on the seat 21 provided the other is clear of its seat, providing a free passage to the exhaust 22.

It is obvious that the exhaust-openings and their operating-valves may be placed in any position on the cover 3 or the casing 8, where the exhausts may be conveniently connected to the annular space in which the blades work.

To form a more efiectual steam-tight joint where the sides of the rim engage the walls of the cylindrical chamber, I provide a series of annular grooves within which the steam will condense and assist to seal the joint without the necessity of such a close fit being made, and as the steam is only effective through a fraction of a revolution, according to the number of blades, I may free the bore of the chamber below that limit on each side, so as to reduce the friction of the outer edge of the blades against the bore of the chamber. Thus in the case as illustrated, where three blades are provided, they need only closely fit the bores through the two upper thirds of its circumference i i on each side, the lower third being eased away slightly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To prevent any steam which may leak past the rim of the wheel to within it accumulating, I provide an exit 19, which maybe opened to the atmosphere or connected to the exhaust-pipe of the engine.

The operation of my engine may now be readily followed. The steam entering from the steam-pipe 17 passes through the hollow valve-stem 9, and as the port 7 of the rotating valve comes opposite to the port 9 of the spindle the steam passes through it and into the annular space between the rim 5 and the bore of the chamber 2 on such side of the line of contact as the valve-stem port is directed to. Taking it as drawn in Fig. l the steam cannot pass to the other side of the line of contact, so must act against the blade to turn it in the direction of the arrow 2. Admission continues until further rotation of the valve 7 carries its port 7 past the port 9 in the spindle, when steam is cutoff and is allowed to expand until the next blade behind passes the contact-line of the valve, when no further expansion can take place nor pressure to rotate be exerted by that particular volume of steam, and it passes around until its section of annular space comes to the exhaust on the left-hand side, when the expended steam passes out.

It will be obvious that the dimension of the port 9* may be Varied so as to give an earlier cut 0%, and its position may be changed through any of the intermediate positions on either side, so as to give an earlier or later out 01f, as may be desired.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A rotary engine, comprising in combination, a cylindrical casing, a piston-wheel rotatable therein, having radial piston-blades, a tubular rotary valve member, adapted to roll on the periphery of the piston-Wheel, said valve member having a socket for receiving and cooperating with the piston-blades, a hol low spindle connected with the steam-supply, upon which the aforesaid valve is rotatably mounted, said spindle having a rotary motion independent of the movement of the valve, and having a port for communicating with the socket in the said valve, a closing-piece bearing on the valve opposite its line of con. tact with the piston-wheel, exhausts in the piston-chamber, one at each side of the rotary valve, a casing common to both exhausts, and a shiftable valve within the casing for controlling the two exhausts to open and close them alternately.

2. In an engine of the class described, having a valve through which steam is admitted rotatable on the periphery of the bladed wheel; a closing-piece on the valve opposite the line of contact; a dovetailed recess in the casing adapted to receive such closing-piece,

strips of lead or similar joint material in the edges of such closing-piece; and means wherebythe closing-piece may be tightened down on its edge joints and on the valve.

3. In an engine as described having a valve rotatable on its own axis on the bladed operative wheel and means for imparting rotation thereto from the operative shaft; a hollow spindle through which steam may be admitted to the valve; a steam connection on the spindle to which the steam-supply pipe is connected; a lever by means of which such spindle may be turned to direct its internal steam-port; a nut on the spindle whereby the joints of the steam connection may be drawn close; and a collar on the spindle to oppose the pull of the nut.

4. In an engine as described, the combina- ICC tion with the annular steam-casing, the pis- I having rotary motion independent of the t0n-Wheel,carrying radially-projected piston- I valve, and a lever means for adjusting the blades, a valve rotatable upon its own axis, i said spindle, all being arranged substantially I 5 and rotatably engaging the periphery of the as shown and described;

5 piston-wheel, means for imparting rotation In testimonywhereofIhavehereuntosigned to the valve from the drive-shaft, said valve my name to this specification in the presence having a socket for cooperating with the pis-- of two subscribing witnesses. ton-blades, and for feeding live steam into T the piston-chamber, a hollow steam-feed spin- GEORGE CASSADS 1o dle, upon which the socketed valve is rotated, In presence of said spindle havinga portadapted to cooper- ROWLAND BRITTAIN, ate with the socket in the valve, said spindle ELLIOE WEBBER. 

